My listening impressions with Beyerdynamic T1.3
I received the T1.3 (and T5.3) for review purposes through a connection at the Danish Beyerdynamic distributor of the professional Beyerdynamic product-line. I have them on loan for some days to spend time with them and then they have to go back to Beyerdynamic again. I am not associated with either Beyerdynamic or the danish distributor in any way, so I can share my sincere impressions with no strings attached. Here it goes…
September 11th, right out of the box.
First impression was a dark sounding experience. A little dull without sparkling highs is the first thing I notice. A darker but more calm sound than my DT-1770 Pro, my current reference full size headphone. No treble presence and too much bass to my taste. I know bass takes a lot of time to adjust to, so I am thinking I need to be patient with this one. Coming from ER-4XR and DT-1770 I knew that this was on the opposite side of the road soundwise. My ears had to get used to T1.3’s fuller sound and T1.3 definitely have much more low end impact.
The instruments I normally search for and listen for in music, piano and wind-instruments, are brought more backwards compared to bass and drums. Vocals are also brought backwards and do not come out in front of the rest of the orchestra. Hmmm… This is so unlike the Beyerdynamic sound that I am used to. I can hear that there is nothing wrong with the presentation, the transparency is really good, the dynamics, the punch and speed. But it is just the tuning that was a surprise to me.
When listening to Tool for instance the snare drum has the right slam. The sound is not muddy but the headphones are overpowering the bass region and that is too much for me at this point. Going back to DT-1770 everything is controlled. The 1770’s bass has just the right balance. Drums are tight and hits with controlled impact. I can clearly hear that the T1.3 is a step up in terms of transparency and resolution.
Guitars on Tools “The Patient” stand out clear and crisp on T1.3 though. There is so much air and space around the guitar and I am thinking that there is a technical advantage to T1.3 over DT-1770 that I can clearly hear but the tuning is just off to my ears. As soon as the bass and drums kick in it has too much energy in the low end. Not a good energy but a way too much and almost vulgar bass presence, not with a tight slam and punch but an overpowered attack that takes over everything. It does not sound balanced and natural. A too dark sound that I could not believe came from Beyerdynamic.
(September 16th: Reading these initial impressions 5 days later after my ears have adjusted to the sound, seems far away. Now, I am where I can really enjoy the sound. But I had to go through a lot. A journey I would not have been able to do if I had only had an hour at a shop. I would never have chosen these headphones if my first impression was the only one… I’ll come back to that.)
September 12th
The next day I was listening to music changing back and forth between T5.3 and T1.3, enjoying a cup of coffee from the morning. Then I noticed the new damping material over the drivers that was not there in the first T1. I thought I need to try to remove that to see what happens. It is an easy operation removing the baffle with the cushions, they click right off. Away with the dampening filter, you can remove it right out from its place, no glue used. The cushions click right back on ….and you have a completely new headphone. (Even easier than the good old APureSound-Mod for HD650 for those who have been around long enough to remember that.)
The dampening pad that covers the drivers.
The damping pad removed and the driver as we know it from the first T1 is visible.
I could now turn the volume somewhat down. Much less energy in the lower region and mids and treble are suddenly out in the open. Now we are talking. Back to the Beyerdynamic sound that I know so well and like so much. Brighter and more airy sound with better balance. Voices are suddenly also brought forward to where they are supposed to be, not hidden behind bass and drums. The soundstage opens up and the music is brought out of my head.
Voices are crisp and clear. The music flows effortless and there is no veil. The T1.3 is a true pleasure to listen to now. I am trying different genres. Jazz, metal, classic music, electronica and blues - T1.3 do it all with ease.
Compared to DT-1770 there is more space around the instruments and a real atmosphere when listening to T1.3. It is clear that the soundstage is deeper and wider.
September 15th
I have now had a couple of days with the T1.3 without the dampening pad. I have been on a short business-trip and brought the T1.3 with me and spend som time with them in the evening on the hotelroom, listening to T1.3 from my Chord Mojo. I have enjoyed more than a couple listening experiences giving pure goosebumps. Just browsing around in Tidal and discovering new albums from different genres is a pure joy with the T1.3. They do not really excel in just one genre but to me(without the dampening pads) they are equally good with all genres.
Some old albums like Pink Floyd sounds so intimate and yet there is a real space and air around everything. Not artificial HD800 soundstage but a real nice stage with good layering. The music is relaxed, there is a softness to how they present guitars. Crisp and clear but never harsh or piercing to the ears. Snare drums are tight and sounds like they do when hearing them live but again never ear piercingly harsh. The soundstage is just bigger and more outside of my head, compared to my current reference DT-1770 pro. Of course DT-1770 are closed and T1.3 are open.
In the meantime I have had an email-conversation with Mr. Gunter Weidemann, the Senior Product Manager at Beyerdynamic. I was just puzzled with the dampening pads and why the T1 sounds so much better without them, to my ears that is. I had to get an answer to that. As Gunter pointed our, my reference sound today is what I would call neutral from ER-4XR and DT-1770 Pro. Studio monitor sound. Nothing added to the music, just played as it is on the recording. As Gunter explained DT-1770 has a completely other purpose than the T1.3. Where I am used to listen to a professional device made to analyse recordings the T1.3 has another purpose. In Gunter Weidemanns words: “
the new T1 and T5 are positioned as "True masterpieces for your musical enjoyment at home", with a carefully tuned sound signature especially for this kind of application.”
Mr. Weidemann recommended me that I should take my time to get my ears used to the new sound. I have often recommended people to take (long) time to get used to listen to the (brighter) Etymotic ER-4xx or the like, because I know it does take time to adjust to a different level of low end impact from both speakers and headphones. So, I will follow Mr. Weidemanns advice and put the dampening pads back in their place - and give it some time. He also mentioned that the dampers of the T1 and new T5 are different, specifically designed to produce the desired balance for both headphones. Also the baffle in the T1 has been redesigned, the ear-pad cushions are new and the inner dampening in the house is redesigned. All components thought carefully through to achieve the desired sound signature.
Snap, snap, click, click. The dampening pads are back in place. But I have to say, my ears are not happy. Give it time they say.
32 Ohm impedance - but why?
There has been some critical voices and maybe sincere concerns around here on why Beyerdynamic chose to go with a 32 Ohm driver. I can say for myself, I never really understood the concern. I have heard plenty of headphones that were high-end with lower impedance than 600 Ohm. T1.1+T1.2 were the first and only (mass market) high impedance headphones in the market for a long time. That in itself did not make them more high-end than a low impedance headphone other than you never really could push them to their limits without adding a decent amplifier in the chain. I do see the concern that if Beyerdynamic has moved their focus from the high-end consumer market to the more “average” consumer.
I asked Gunter Weidemann about this move from Beyerdynamic. What was the reasoning behind this move: “
Our engineers surely have the best experiences to provide headphones in various impedances (i.e. DT 880/990 Edition with 32, 250, and 600 Ohm). And we have made an effort to optimize the new T1 for an impedance of 32 Ohm, whereas the former T1 models have been optimized for 600 Ohm. We are definitely targeting the high-enders like before, but providing them with higher flexibility of connection to stationary amplifiers as well as mobile devices (because the latter have been improved a lot during the last years).”
I can only say I appreciate this answer. I am actually considering buying the T1.3 BECAUSE it now has 32 Ohm impedance. I had the T1.1 but did not use it as much as I used my T5p. So, I ended up selling the T1.1 and kept the T5p for years. I used T5p in the office with my desktop amplifier and with my portable amps. I never moved over to DAP’s because I always have my laptop with me, so Chord Mojo (or a mini-stack with an ODAC + Meier Quickstep) serves as my portable hotelroom system most of the time and for that I can now easily see the T1.3 become a travel companion. Also, the included case that T1.3 comes with is perfect for transporting the headphones in my bag. Lightweight and durable.
Designing the T1.3 around a 32 Ohm driver makes a much more versatile headphone. I think many new users will love that.
September 17th:
It is now about time to finish my review and my time with T1.3 is about to end. I have been able to spend time listening to these daily in the homeoffice. Already now as I am writing this my ears appreciate the (darker) sound much more than I did 6 days ago. I now perceive the sound as much more balanced. The bass is truly punchy, tight and with a nice impact. Still more bass impact than I need, but it does not kill the rest of the music as it did in the beginning. I am hearing mids and treble come more forward. No doubt these headphones beat DT-1770 in terms of soundstage and resolution. Again transparency and openness is where the T1.3 really excel.
Getting used to the signature of T1.3 required time for me and if you are used to more analytical sound you will most likely not like T1.3 at first. But there is a lot of listening pleasure for those who will let their ears adjust to the tuning of these headphones. Wearing the T1.3 is also really comfortable. I use the velour cushions on my DT-1770 and the velour cushions on T1.3 feels even more luxurious and soft on the skin. They have a nice tight pressure on the head and sit perfectly for longer listening sessions.
The T1.3 is not a highly critical headphone demanding only high resolution files. Listening to music from Spotify sounds good too. High resolution files sounds perfect.
According to Günter Weidemann, T1.3 is going to appeal to the same user, who also like the sound of Amiron home and wireless. After getting over the initial “chock” of the much different tuning in T1.3 than all the other Beyerdynamic headphones that I have had, and getting my ears adjusted to more bass impact, I can see the potential for a 32 Ohm truly high-end headphone. A headphone with a big sound, a comfortable fit on the head with its soft velour cushions, a bass focused signature yet super easy to drive from most sources.
Gear that I used:
24 / 48 FLAC, Audirvana on a MacBook Pro.
USB out to Meier Daccord ff, Chord Mojo or iFi Hip-dac.
Amplifiers: Meier Classic ff, Meier Corda Quickstep, Chord Mojo or iFi hip-dac.
